Among Musketeers
by Dodo98
Summary: Sisters Alexandra and Leah, living comfortably as teenagers in the 21st century, suddenly find themselves transported back in time to the 17th century Paris. Lost and bewildered, a chance meeting with Aramis brings them into the world of the Musketeer garrison. Will they ever find their way back home?
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER I

 **Hello :) I am already writing this story in German. And now I am very pleased, that riversidewren translated this Fanfiction into English. So special thanks to her!  
**  
I sat in chemistry class, bored out of my mind, my eyes staring at the clock. Time seemed to crawl by, and every minute was agony. My teacher was trying to teach us something about chemical equilibria. To be honest, I was not the most diligent student. I had not really been able to keep up with my schoolwork since the 9th grade.

Now I was in 11th grade, and qualifying exams for university were coming ever closer. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Nevertheless, I continued to go to school, and spent a lot of time studying. I felt as if my days consisted of the same dull routine of school, meals, and sleep.

Somewhere far off, I was conscious of my chemistry teacher droning on. My thoughts, however, were focused on the guy sitting opposite me. God, he was hot! Why had I not gotten up the courage to talk to him?

I glanced up at the clock, and my heart fell when I saw that only five minutes had gone by since I had last looked. I leaned back in my chair, and suddenly became incredibly dizzy. Everything around me became black….

Sometime later, I slowly regained consciousness. The first thing I became aware of was the uncomfortably hard ground that I was lying on. Birds were chirping all around me. I opened my eyes and stared at the canopy of leaves that that fluttered above me. Wait a minute! Leaves…sky…where was I?

I sat up suddenly, then instantly regretted it when I became dizzy again. I looked around, and saw that I was in a forest, surrounded by trees. I slowly got up, and became aware that I was not alone. Someone else was lying on the ground not far away. I scrambled over to the side of the unknown person and knelt beside her….once I got a good look at her, I knew who she was instantly…my sister!

"Leah, can you hear me?" I cried. I shook her shoulder gently. She slowly woke up and looked at me sleepily. "Alexandra?" she asked, her voice unsteady. "What are you doing here?!"

"What are you doing here?!"

My sister glanced around, then looked up at me, appearing both surprised and fearful. "Where are we?"

"I have no idea." I helped her up, and we stood facing each other.

"I don't understand this at all! I was just at school!"

"Me too! I was in math!"

"What do we do now?"

"Maybe we should look around a bit."

With these words, I chose a direction and decided to started walking. Maybe I had just dreamed everything..,maybe none of this was real. No, it couldn't be real! Soon I would wake up, and my chemistry teacher would be glaring at me for having fallen asleep in his class.

It seemed to me as if we had already been here for days. I was starting to feel desperate, and my sister was close to tears.

"Lexi, I want to get out of here! I want to go home! I want to be sitting back in my class at school, bored to death!"

"I get that, but I have no idea where we are!" We hugged each other close, trying to gain some solace from the fact that we were not alone. The sun was slowly setting, and darkness was settling over the forest. I thought back to a TV show I had seen once about how to survive in the wilderness, and desperately tried to remember anything helpful. No such luck.

Finally, we decided to rest for the night, then look for a solution in the morning. The situation was not exactly a good one. I had no idea if there were any dangerous animals in the forest. Neither Leah nor I was capable of building a fire in order to drive away the cold that had crept in to replace the pleasant warmth of the day. We huddled together underneath a tree, then finally fell asleep, exhausted.

When the first rays of sunlight filtered through the leaves, I woke up. I momentarily forgot where I was, then recalled what had happened. With that memory, came the shocking realization that maybe this was not a dream. Leah also woke up, and I could tell that she was thinking the same thing. I also realized that I was incredibly hungry. It was no wonder, because I had not eaten anything before school yesterday. We were helpless, desperate, and lost.

"What now?" asked my sister, her voice small and scared. "Do we go on farther?"

"Well, I can't think of a better idea. Let's go."

We walked farther, and kept going until it was once again evening. I looked at Leah, who appeared to be in despair. Her clothes were filthy, and her hair was a mess. She had dark circles under her eyes due to lack of sleep and the countless tears that she had shed. I doubted that I looked much better. My blond hair was tangled, and I desperately needed a shower. But most importantly, I needed some food.

Suddenly, my sister screamed. "Look over there!" I looked in the direction where she was pointing. Finally, between the trees I saw a path, which led to a house. Actually, it would be more appropriate to say a hut. The roughly constructed building lay dark and silent before us.

We cautiously approached the hut until we found ourselves in front of the wooden door. We looked at each other and nodded, then I slowly opened the door, and we stepped over the threshold. We found ourselves in a room that was lit by candlelight.

The hut was a bit musty inside, and smelled of candlewax. My gaze lingered on the warm, welcoming fire that was burning in the fireplace. A few benches and tables were scattered around the room. Everything seemed very old-fashioned, and this impression was only reinforced by the woman who was standing behind the counter. She was wearing a medieval-style dress, and was busily cleaning a glass. She glanced up at us, but said nothing.

We slowly approached the woman, and I began to speak. "Umm, excuse me—we have somehow gotten lost, and cannot find our way back. Can you tell me exactly where we are? Or do you perhaps have a telephone? We really should call home. Our parents are probably worried to death."

The woman looked at us doubtfully, then finally said. "You are close to Paris."

Paris? How did we get here? Had we been kidnapped?

"Please, do you have a phone we could use?" I asked tentatively.

The woman looked at me as if I was from another planet. "I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you are talking about."

How was this even possible? This woman had no clue what a telephone was! What kind of a dump had we landed in?

Our hopes faded again, and I saw tears roll down my sister's cheeks. It hurt to see my usually funny, happy thirteen year old sister looking so forlorn. I timidly asked if we could spend the night, and perhaps get something to eat. It felt somewhat rude to be making such a request, but I saw no other alternative.

The woman raised an eyebrow and looked us up and down, then asked, "Can you pay?"

My heart fell. I looked at the ground and sighed. "No."

My sister looked pleadingly at the woman, tears in her eyes, but she clearly didn't care. "No money, no food," she declared firmly.

I was close to tears when I felt suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, and saw a man with a jaunty hat and the same sort of strangely old, but quite nice-looking, clothes. He wore a blue sash, and had carried quite an assortment of weapons on a belt slung around his waist.

I looked at him closer. My God, did he have a sword? And a musket? What sort of guy was this? Why, out of all the places in the world, did we have to land here? Everything in this place was just completely bizarre, and it would probably be best to get out of here as quickly as possible.

The man gave the barmaid a charming grin, and asked casually, "Madame, what would you think if I offered to pay for these two young ladies?"

 **Let me know what you think :)**


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER II

 **Here comes the second chapter. Thanks to riversidewren and her wonderful translation!**

The woman nodded briefly, then went back to cleaning the glasses. My sister turned to the mysterious man and thanked him. I felt relieved myself, although I had no idea what was the right thing to do in this situation. After all, I knew nothing about this man.

The stranger turned to me with a friendly smile. "What happened to you two? How did you end up stranded here by yourselves, so far from the city?"

I replied cautiously, "We really don't know how we got here. One minute, we were in school, then the next minute, we woke up alone in the forest."

I must have looked completely desperate, for the man looked at me with pity, then said kindly, "Come sit with me and my friends."

We followed him over to a table in the far corner of the room, where three other men were sitting together, talking and laughing.

"Aramis, where were you?" cried one, winking at the others. "Flirting as usual?"

Apparently they all thought that this was the only thing he ever did. "What are you up to this time?"

"I am merely helping two lost young ladies-that's all," he replied curtly, obviously annoyed with his friends.

Turning to the girls, Aramis motioned for them to stay put. He looked at them more closely. Both had blond hair. The elder girl had blue eyes, the younger brown. Both looked as though they had spent quite a bit of time wandering in the woods. They were dressed oddly, in a strange type of clothes that he had never seen before.

Aramis cleared his throat. "I am Aramis." He bowed, sweeping his hat off and placing it over his heart. "That one over there is Porthos." He pointed to a giant of a man dressed in black leather, who smiled at them in a friendly fashion.

"This is Athos." The man's cool blue eyes flicked up for an instant at the girls. He nodded briefly, then went back to his wine.

"And this is d'Artagnan." The youngest man greeted them. "Pleased to meet you."

Athos glanced up from his glass of wine, his gaze settling on the two newcomers. "And who might you be?"

"My name is Alexandra," answered the older girl. "And I am Leah," added her sister.  
"Thank you for being so kind to us," blurted out Alexandra. "We thought we were going to get thrown out."

"We are glad to be of assistance," Aramis replied warmly.

Alexandra finally dared to ask the question that was burning in her mind. "This place…your clothes…is this some kind of live action role playing game?"

The men stared at her blankly, and appeared confused, so she continued on awkwardly, trying to make herself understood. "I mean, your costumes, with the weapons…and the interior of this building…everything looks like it is straight out of the 17th century—almost like the Musketeers in the book!"

Athos, completely baffled, stared at the sisters, while Porthos began laughing uproariously.

"There is a book about Musketeers?" inquired a confused d'Artagnan.

"No, my friend," replied Aramis, joining in the laughter. "Listen, girls, what do you expect? After all, this is the 17th century. I mean, it's 1636, right?"

Leah and Alexandra paled. "This is a joke..isn't it?"

Unsure, the two girls looked over at Athos, who seemed to be the most serious of the group. However, his face remained expressionless.

"I think I need some air!" With these words, Alexandra ran across the room, and stumbled out the door. Aramis followed her.

Leah remained sitting shyly next to d'Artagnan, and looked rather lost. When a tear rolled down her cheek, the three remaining Musketeers realized that the girl was completely overwhelmed by the whole situation.

Porthos motioned urgently to d'Artagnan, trying to silently get him to understand that he should give the distraught girl a hug-or at least make some attempt to calm her down. Finally, d'Artagnan seemed to get the message, and pulled himself together, drawing the girl into his arms.

Meanwhile, Alexandra stood outside, trying to get her breathing under control instead of hyperventilating.

"Okay, everything is fine…in and out…in and out…what am I thinking, nothing is fine! Oh my God, I have somehow teleported myself into another century! Now that I'm here, I can probably never get back! Just how did I get here? I will be stuck here forever…I'll never see my parents and friends again! What do I do now? How do I deal with this mess? I have no money, I have no idea of what life was like at this time…I never paid attention in history! And it's not just me…I have to take care of my sister! We have to survive somehow. I just want this all to be a bad dream! I want to wake up, and find myself lying in my own bed…"

"Everything is fine, everything will be all Alexandra, look at me…"

Gradually Alexandra became aware that Aramis had been standing in front of her for several minutes already, attempting to engage her in conversation.

"Look, we understand that you want to get out of here as soon as possible," he said soothingly.

"No, you don't understand! Listen, I have no idea how I got here, and I have no idea how to get back home! I don't know anyone here, and I'm going to be stuck here until I die!"

"Why don't you just get some sleep tonight, then tomorrow morning we'll sort this out." Aramis' voice was calm and gentle.

Alexandra found herself gazing into his yes. "Okay."

Suddenly, Leah ran outside and threw herself into Alexandra's arms.

"Where were you? Why did you just run off and leave me?" she cried desperately.

"I'm sorry." Alexandra hugged her sister, trying to comfort her.

"Never leave me alone again!"

"Never again—I promise." She tightened her arms around Leah.

The three of them went back into the building, and the sisters went up the stairs to the room above the one in which the Musketeers were staying.

Aramis returned to the table and sat down next to Athos.

"Is everything okay?" asked Porthos, looking a bit worried.

"And just what are we supposed to do with the two of them now?" inquired d'Artagnan.

"Well, we can't just leave them here!" retorted Aramis.

Athos sighed, then made the decision for them. "Okay, we will take them with us to Paris."

"Then what?" broke in Porthos.

They all looked at d'Artagnan.

"Why are you all looking at me?!"

"Well, I think it would be a bad idea to bring them to the garrison," said Aramis slowly.

"And so you just assume that Constance will be willing to take care of them?" d'Artagnan remarked, raising an eyebrow at his friends.

"That was the plan," drawled Athos.

Porthos smirked. "Come on, don't you think the poor woman has enough to do already? After all, she has to take care of our little pup here."

D'Artagnan rolled his eyes at his friend. "Please! I am not a puppy! No one has to take care of me! I can take care of myself!" he retorted defensively.

Aramis grinned, and replied with amusement, "So, I seem to remember a time when you had the sniffles, and acted as if you were on your deathbed…"

"Alright, fine," d'Artagnan interrupted him irritably. "You win!"

"So it's agreed, we'll take them to Constance first, then we'll see what happens…."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER III

 **I hope you like this chapter. A huge thank you and a lot of virtual marzipan to riversidewren for translating my story!**

 **Thanks to "Jas" , because I can´t send you a message.**

Suddenly, I woke up, and vaguely realized that the sun was already shining through the window.

Great! I just had to do it again. I forgot to shut the blinds! Wait, maybe today wasn't a school day! Why hadn't my alarm clock gone off?!

I sat bolt upright in bed. As my eyes fell on Alexandra, who lay next to me, still asleep, I suddenly remembered everything that had happened, and sank back into the pillows.

Perhaps I should just to back to sleep…at least if I slept, I wouldn't be starting this nightmare all over again.

After a few moments, I finally decided to wake my sister up, and shook her shoulder gently. She looked at me sleepily. Her eyes roamed around the room, and then she sighed. All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door. I got up and opened it.

"A lovely good morning to you! I brought you some breakfast, as we're getting ready to eat ourselves." It was the same man who had followed my sister outside yesterday. I tried to remember his name, I reminded myself, I am much better at names than Alexandra. That's it—Aramis!

"We'll be down shortly," I said with a smile, and took the tray of food with a nod of thanks. I closed the door, and Aramis continued down the stairs. Placing the tray of food on the small wooden table in the room, I sat down. Alexandra took her place across from me.

She looked at me for a moment, then said, "Okay, look..it's important that we don't just run around telling everyone where we come from. Because if we do, these people are going to think we are insane. I mean, I would think someone was crazy if they told me they were from the future. The other issue here is that I think we have unfortunately landed in the time of the witch hunts…and believe it or not, I have no desire to be mistaken for a woman who talks to the devil!" She laughed nervously.

I nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. But I really don't think we can hide the truth from our new friends any longer."

"Yes, we can! As long as they don't ask, we tell them nothing. It's as simple as that."

* * *

Unfortunately, this well-thought out plan did not work.

When the sisters came down the stairs and into the yard, the Musketeers had their horses saddled, and were obviously anxious to get on the road.

"So, did you sleep well?" asked Porthos cheerily.

"Porthos, you take the little one," drawled Athos from behind him.

"For your information, we have names, and I am not "the little one!" Leah retorted, her voice furious.

"Ah, this is a problem I am well acquainted with!" called out d'Artagnan, glaring at his friends.

Even Athos could not hold back a grin. "Excellent! You can be allies!"

When everyone was seated on their horses, they started down a narrow forest path. After a few moments, Aramis asked casually, "So, exactly where did you say you were from?" Hearing this question, the other men expectantly turned in Alexandra's direction, waiting for her answer.

"What is the best way for me to explain this?" She thought for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Can we trust you?"

"Of course! We are Musketeers—men of honor!" Aramis appeared to be a bit offended.

Alexandra looked at them uncertainly once again, then began to tell them the story…  
A few minutes later, she concluded, "then we met you."

Porthos began to laugh uproariously. "Oh, that makes perfect sense! You're from the future…just like I'm the Queen of France!"

"Are you sure that you just didn't imagine this?" Aramis asked, looking at them with a worried expression.

"Look, I can't even understand myself how it happened!" Alexandra cried out in despair.

Porthos frowned. "So, just to be clear—you really believe you are from the future?"

"And just how is that even possible?" inquired Athos skeptically. "There is no such thing as time travel!"

Porthos shook his head. "I honestly don't know that to think. You two remind me of this crazy man that met once." He looked around at his friends. "Come on, the rest of you must remember!"

"Was that the mission where Athos fell into the lake in the middle of winter and nearly froze to death?" Aramis directed an accusing glance at Athos.

"It wasn't my fault! You were the one who insisted that we had to go over the bridge, instead of taking the path around the lake!"

"Well, I had no idea that you had in mind to jump right in and go swimming!"

"Aramis, don't you think that Athos' bath was actually somewhat involuntary?" d'Artagnan asked, trying to keep the peace.

Now even Porthos broke in. "The little one is right! You can't exactly say that being pushed into the lake by a bandit is the same thing as choosing to jump in!"

"Ummm…excuse me? Hello? Can someone please listen to me?" Alexandra tried in vain to get in a word as the discussion around her became louder and louder.

After a while, she had had enough. "I thought men in the past were gentlemen," she muttered to herself, "but they are always the same!" Suddenly she screamed at the top of her lungs. The musketeers immediately stopped arguing, and stared at her.

"Is everything ok? What happened?" asked a worried Aramis.

"Brilliant! So you've finally decided to listen to me for once!"

"What exactly did this crazy men tell you?" Leah was desperate to hear the answer, and so asked the question that was burning in Alexandra's mind.

"Oh, something like: You have to believe me! I'm from the future! Help me—I need to find out how I got here!" replied Porthos after a moment's thought.

"And then?" the sisters asked in unison.

"What happened next?" asked a slightly confused Porthos. "Well, what always happens…he was almost burned at the stake as a warlock or sorcerer. And it would have happened, too, if we hadn't been there to convince the people that he was just plain crazy."

Leah leaned over to Alexandra, and whispered, "This means that there is probably someone else who has travelled here from another time. We have to find him! Maybe he has found something out! Maybe he can help us!"

"Good idea! But first, we need to go to Paris. After all, we have no idea where this man is!" replied Alexandra.

* * *

Three hours later, the group turned on to a larger road. In the distance there were a sea of houses, with the roofs appearing to extend into infinity. It was quite a contrast to the sparsely populated countryside. A few times on their journey they had passed by some remote farms, but apart from those, the rest of the countryside was completely unspoiled. It was so different from the modern cities, with their utility poles and factories. Everything here seemed more peaceful, and less hectic.

For the first time since they had arrived in the 17th century, the sisters were able to forget their worries. Alexandra and Leah had always hated the big cities—hated the noise, hated the pressures of modern society, the increasing demands for conformity. Everyone was expected to be perfect. You had the feeling that you had no freedom, that you were living a life that had been planned out for you from the beginning. Here, all these thoughts could be forgotten.

When they finally rode through the city gates, they reached the marketplace. The large square was a whirlwind of activity. People milled about, looking for acquaintances and talking with each other. It was so different from the modern cities, where people hurried past each other without even really seeing the person passing them.

They crossed the marketplace, which was not an easy task given how closely the stalls were crowded together. Finally, they turned into an alley.

"Here we are!" called out Aramis, and swung himself out of the saddle to help Alexandra. The others dismounted, and d'Artagnan made his way to the door. He stopped just in front of it, and glanced back at his friends, giving them a desperate, pleading look.

Porthos recognized the struggle going on inside d'Artagnan's head, and finally said, "Come on! She's not gonna bite your head off!"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Aramis said teasingly.

"Oh, thank you! Very encouraging!" replied d'Artagnan sarcastically.

"Well, actually, none of this is really your fault," observed Porthos. "If anyone gets slapped, it'll be Aramis."

Aramis glared at Porthos. "That is not funny! Last time I couldn't eat for two whole days!"

D'Artagnan opened the door cautiously. As he entered the house, he called out, "Constance! Are you home?"

"I'm in the kitchen!"

D'Artagnan made his way to the kitchen and stood in the doorway. Constance turned around with a smile.

"You're back! I thought you were never coming! Where have you been all this time? I missed you!" With these words, Constance put her arms around d'Artagnan, then swept a stray lock of hair off his face and kissed him.

"Now I'm really home!" smiled d'Artagnan.

"Very touching!" The teasing comment came from behind them. Aramis entered the room, grabbed an apple that was lying on the table, and looked expectantly at d'Artagnan.

"God in heaven, do you have to scare me like that?!" Constance was furious.

"Sorry," replied Aramis meekly. "I was just thinking…you're not going to make us stay out there, are you?"

"Let me guess… you have brought along more of your sort?" Constance turned to her musketeer with a stern look on her face.

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than Porthos came into the kitchen, followed by Athos, Alexandra, and Leah. "I'm starving! It smells great in here!"

"You do realize that without me, you all would have starved a long time ago. Sometimes I wonder how you would have survived if you hadn't met me!"

"We have a problem," stated Athos calmly, stepping to the side. "We need a place for these two young ladies to stay."

"Do I look like a hotel? You're always bringing someone here for me to look after! Then I have to worry about taking care of them and…" She stopped throwing a tantrum as soon as she took a closer look at the two newcomers.

"My God, what happened to you?! " Turning around, she let her gaze travel over the men in the kitchen, "Make yourselves useful, and take care of the food. I'll take these two upstairs first!"

Constance impatiently shooed the Musketeers to the side, and guided Alexandra and Leah up the stairs.

 **Please review :)**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER IV

 **I wish you a lot of fun with the fourth part :)**

 **A big-Porthos-bear-hug to riversidewren for translating!**

Once they were upstairs, Constance regarded the sisters more closely.  
"What happened to you?" she asked as she scrutinized the girls from head to toe.  
"That is a...somewhat complicated story."  
"Well, first we need to take care of finding you something to wear."  
'With those words, Constance left the room, calling over her shoulder, "I'll be right back!"

When she returned, she was carrying a bucket of water, and began to fill a wooden tub with it. "By the way, I'm Constance."

The two girls introduced themselves. "My name is Leah." "I'm Alexandra." Constance seemed to them to be very sympathetic, and appeared to be relieved to have a break from the Musketeers.

Constance looked at the siblings. "I presume that you have no other clothes here?"

They shook their heads. "Well, then, I will lend you something to wear." She laid two sets of clothes on a dresser next to the tub.

"Just come on down when you are ready, and then we'll get you something to eat. And just yell if you need anything!" Constance said, smiling kindly at the girls.

As soon as Constance was out the door, Leah and Alexandra looked at each other. "Well, now what do we do?"

Bathing in the large tub turned out to be much more difficult than taking a shower. Moreover, the water was freezing, and both of them were soon shivering. Another problem arose when they tried to figure out how to put on the clothes that Constance had given them.

"I have no idea how to put these on," muttered a frustrated Alexandra. She tried to pull the dress over her head. After several attempts, she finally succeeded, then began to battle the laces.

"Would you like some help?" Leah asked with a grin after she had watched her sister struggle for a while.

"Yes, I think I could definitely use some help."

Leah began to lace up the corset tightly, and Alexandra gasped. "Are you crazy? That is way too tight!"

"That is the proper way to do it," Leah corrected her with amusement.

"I really don't care about what is proper! I can barely breathe!" Alexandra hissed.

Leah took a step back and admired her work. "Hey, you look good!"

"This is damn uncomfortable!" grumbled her sister.  
"You'll soon get used to it," replied Leah optimistically.

"Whatever! Just wait until you're dressed the same way. You're up next!"

Once Leah had managed to get herself into her dress, she had to admit that it was indeed very uncomfortable, and really did not allow for much freedom of movement.

* * *

As Constance came down the stairs, she could already hear the loud conversation of the Musketeers. When she reached the kitchen, the discussion suddenly ceased, and the men looked at her. D'Artagnan gave her his best "Please don't be mad! I'll make it up to you…just please don't hurt me!" puppy-dog look.

Constance was secretly amused, but she was also proud of the respect that the Musketeers had for her. However, outwardly she appeared cross. Although she had already forgiven them, she wanted to make them squirm a little longer.

"So, now are you going to explain to me what's going on?" she inquired.

"Aramis had to play the hero, as usual," said Porthos breezily, taking his second bowl of Constance's soup.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" asked Constance.

"Porthos, what you are leaving out is the fact that you did nothing to help those two girls!"

"Of course I would have helped, but it was quite clear that as usual, you had already sprung into action, since the opposite sex was involved."

"So what actually happened?" Constance was still trying to figure out what was going on.

"I merely observed these two young ladies—terrified, alone, and helpless—enter the inn, and I wasted no time in helping them," Aramis stated.

"They claim that they have come from the future," remarked Athos, leaning against the doorframe.

Constance gave him an incredulous look. "The future?!"

"I'm not exactly convinced either," muttered Porthos.

Just at that moment, Alexandra and Leah came around the corner.

"Go ahead, sit down!" Constance immediately took away from Porthos the pot of soup that he had claimed earlier. Porthos gave Constance a look of disappointment, but he stopped when Constance glared at him. She put two bowls in front of the girls.

Outside, it was already getting dark, and the Musketeers bid them good night, then left. When Constance had closed the door behind them, she turned to d'Artagnan, who had remained silent the whole time.

Are you ok?" asked Constance, worried.

"I'm ok if you are," answered d'Artagnan cautiously.

"We already hashed that out, so don't worry. I'm fine. I'm not mad at you," she said, smiling. "It was a good thing that you brought those two girls here. They need our help, and I am happy to take care of them."

The musketeer seemed relieved. "Well, it seems like everything is fine."

"Exactly. And anyway, I'm not the one you has to sleep on the floor!" Constance teased him, her expression one of amusement.

"What? How long do I have to sleep on the floor?!" cried out d'Artagnan indignantly.

"As long as it takes to find these two some other accommodations," answered Constance sweetly, leaving to go to bed.

Halfway there, she turned around, suddenly feeling sorry for her Musketeer, who was not at all responsible for the situation they were in. She ran back to him, put her hands on his shoulders, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

"Good night!" she murmured.

"Sleep well." D'Artagnan smiled back at her sadly, the puppy-dog eyes appearing again.

"Alright," sighed Constance. "Come on, you can sleep with me."

"Really?" asked d'Artagnan, still unsure.

"Come on…no one can resist the look you are giving me."

D'Artagnan triumphantly followed his beloved.

* * *

D'Artagnan slowly woke up. He turned onto his other side, and was surprised to see an arm laying over him. He opened his eyes, and could not resist smiling when he saw Constance.

At that moment, Constance opened her eyes, and smiled back at him.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked happily.

"As good as ever." He answered her question with a satisfied expression on his face.

D'Artagnan turned his head to the side to see what time it was.

"Damn it!" He swore and flew out of the bed.

"What's the matter?" asked a puzzled Constance.

D'Artagnan disappeared briefly as he dove into his shirt, then ran around the house, looking for his things. "I am way too late! Athos will kill me!"

"I doubt that will happen if you are late one time."

"But we have to accompany the King on this boring hunting trip today!"

"I think they can handle that without you."

"Hopefully…otherwise they will have been waiting for me all this time."

D'Artagnan gave Constance a quick kiss, then was out of the house.

* * *

Meanwhile, in front of the palace, a sullen and angry looking Athos was waiting, as were Aramis, Porthos, and the King. Aramis and Porthos had moved away a bit to lean against the wall, trying to escape Athos' fury.

"Athos looks ready to lose it, doesn't he?" asked Aramis, worried for d'Artagnan.

Porthos looked over at their leader. "Yes, he definitely looks worse than earlier."

"If he doesn't show up soon, Athos will go find him and drag him here himself," observed Aramis.

"Then we had better hope that he doesn't take too much longer."

No sooner had Porthos said those words than d'Artagnan came flying around the corner. He had obviously run the whole way, as he was out of breath. After he passed Porthos and Aramis, he came to a halt in front of a furious Athos, bending over as he tried to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry," he gasped between his attempts to control his breathing."

"You should feel sorry!" hissed Athos. "Do you have any idea how long we have been waiting for you? You kept the King waiting!"

"Honestly, it was not on purpose!" D'Artagnan hastily tried to apologize. "I just overslept."

"Really? Today, of all days, you decide to sleep in?!"

"I'm really sorry."

Athos glared at him, then turned around and said with a disturbingly calm voice, "Let's not lose any more time!"

After they had ridden for an hour, d'Artagnan felt even guiltier. Athos' silence was unsettling, and it was worse than being yelled at.

Aramis rode up to Athos' side. "How long are you going to let him suffer?"

"As long as is necessary," replied Athos defiantly.

"Okay, and how long is that? Look at him, he already feels guilty enough," Porthos said, trying to rescue d'Artagnan.

Athos sighed. "Fine."

"D'Artagnan!" he cried, thus breaking the uncomfortable silence that had been present between him and the youngest musketeer. "Ride ahead and find us a place to rest!"

A relieved d'Artagnan exhaled, and rode ahead.

"See, it wasn't so hard," remarked Porthos cheerfully, glad that the tension between his friends had been broken.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Constance's house….

"Hello!" Alexandra, in a much better mood than the day before, was glad to see Constance.

"Good morning! It looks as if you slept well."

"I did," smiled Alexandra. "Where's d'Artagnan?"

"He had to go to work," replied Constance.

"What does a Musketeer do all day?" inquired Alexandra, now curious. She immediately thought of the book she had mentioned earlier.

"Most of the time they are on guard duty, at the palace or off somewhere with the King. Sometimes they go on missions, deliver important letters, chase bandits, and do all sorts of dangerous things." Constance sighed at the last part.

"It sounds as if you are not really happy about it….with the dangerous part, that is," ventured Alexandra.

"I would like it better if he just stayed in the palace, but he loves those missions. Besides, I am also proud that he is a Musketeer."

"That sounds so exciting! At home, we have nothing like that. Everything is completely different."

"What exactly is different?" Now Constance was curious, and wanted to know more.

"Really everything! Where should I start?"

A long conversation about cities, technology, medicine, and school ensued, and Constance could not have been more amazed.

"A lot has changes as far as politics as well. We have democracy, and there is equality."

"What are those things?" An interested Constance was eager to hear more.

"Democracy, the right of self-determination. The people make decisions by elections. Naturally, it's more complicated than that, but that is the basic idea. Equality means that all people have the same rights. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work perfectly. But women, for example, are considered equal to men in most countries."

"That must be a beautiful world!" remarked Constance, who was busy trying to imagine the world of the future.

"But of course, there are some drawbacks to the future. I bet that you have never heard of pollution, for example. Moreover, many countries have a lot of unrest."

"It must be really odd for you to be living in the 1600s," said Constance softly.

"Very much so," replied Alexandra sadly, staring at the floor. "We have to try to get back to our own time!"

"How do you plan to do that?" Constance wondered out aloud, putting a comforting hand on Alexandra's arm.

Alexandra looked up. "Porthos told us about a man who had a story just like ours. We have to find him!"

"That was a few days' ride from here," mused Constance, thinking of d'Artagnan's description of what had been in his opinion, a far too long and uncomfortable ride.

"But we have to find him!" said Alexandra earnestly.

"Perhaps you should discuss it with your rescuers…they could probably take you there."

"Do you really think they would?" Alexandra's face lit up, and hope appeared in her eyes once again.

"Yes, I believe they would!" replied Constance with a smile.

"I need to go and ask them right now!" Alexandra jumped up from her chair, ran to the door, and was outside in a flash. A moment later, she stuck her head back in through the doorway. "Um, how exactly do I get there?"

Constance laughed. "Come here, I'll explain to you how to get to the garrison. But you may have to wait for some time, as they are currently on some sort of a hunting trip with the King."

* * *

Some time later, after what were in Alexandra's opinion some very complicated directions, she was on her horse, riding in the direction of the garrison. It was fortunate that she had learned to ride when she was nine, otherwise she would have had a real problem. She had earlier admired the beautiful Friesians of the Musketeers, but to actually ride one herself-that was an experience that would be impossible to beat. She stroked the neck of the stunning animal and spoke lovingly to him. She was once again amazed by Paris. How could a city seem so completely different?

After a few minutes, it became very clear to her that she had become lost. Unfortunately, she had strayed into the unsavory part of town. Although it was still daylight, it was pretty scary. Dark figures sat in the shadows of the houses, and they had obviously had a few drinks too many. She soon realized that there was no way she would find her way out without getting some help. She finally decided to ask for directions from a man who was not quite as drunk as the others. She dismounted, and politely approached him.

"Excuse me, I have a question. I have somehow gotten lost. Can you please tell me how to get to the Musketeer garrison?" she inquired, giving him a friendly smile.

The man looked at Alexandra, then laughed at her with contempt, revealing his rotten teeth.

"Lost, you say? What do you want with the Musketeers?" He was clearly not happy to even speak the word "musketeers."

"Please, can you just tell me how to get out of here?" Alexandra asked nervously.

"And what do I get for it?" the man asked, leering at her. He had moved out of the alley he had been standing in, and came closer and closer to Alexandra. The girl took a step back, trying to maintain a safe distance from the stranger. This situation was becoming a bit too threatening for her liking.

"Can't you just do me this one favor? I don't have any money!" Alexandra became very uncomfortable, and very much wished that she had never asked this man for help.

"That's no problem. I don't want money anyway!" The drunk man took another step closer to Alexandra, and stretched out his hand to touch her. Alexandra immediately stepped back, slapping his hand away. Her heart pounded wildly, and she was paralyzed by fear. This had never happened to her in the 21st century!

"Why so naughty?" the man asked, his voice eerily quiet.

"Leave me alone!" screamed the frightened girl.

"Oh, come on!" urged the stranger.

"Go away!" Alexandra said, her voice trembling.

The stranger seized Alexandra by the wrist and pulled her to him. She promptly slapped him in the face, and tried to free herself from his grasp. A wild scuffle ensued, which finally came to a halt when the man brandished a dagger in his hand. A terrified Alexandra stared at the dagger. This had really never happened to her before! What now? What should she do? Run! was her first thought, but the man was still holding her firmly. He held the dagger to her throat, and Alexandra did not even dare to swallow.

"Now you will do exactly what I tell you!" the man ordered roughly.

A tear rolled down Alexandra's cheek as she was filled with despair. Although she really didn't believe that her attacker would show her any mercy, she tried anyway.

"Please, please let me go!" She was sobbing now.

"You would like me to, wouldn't you?" the man sneered, and did not give any indication that he was going to let Alexandra go.

To demonstrate that he meant what he said, he pressed the dagger harder into Alexandra's neck, until a red trail of blood trickled down her neck. Alexandra's breath quickened. She was so terrified that it was impossible for her to think straight. What was it that they had taught her in the self-defense lesson that she had gotten in gym class? Come on, think!

She had no choice. Alexandra summoned up all her courage and freed herself with one fluid motion of her arms and a kick to the groin. The man was clearly confused by the resistance that the girl put up. For Alexandra, sprinting was now her only chance! As fast as she could, she raced to her horse, jumped on, and fled at a full gallop. She did not turn around, but simply let the horse have his head. After all, she didn't even know where she was. All she wanted to do was to get away from that place!

After a few minutes at top speed, she finally dared to slow her horse to a trot. She noted that she had somehow managed to find her way back to the marketplace, most likely because her faithful steed knew the way. Alexandra also became aware of the pain in her right arm and at the place on her neck where the dagger had cut her. She looked at her arm, and saw a deep cut that throbbed painfully.

"It'll be fine," she said, trying to calm herself. "Everything will be fine!"

After a few minutes, they finally reached the garrison.

Soaked with sweat and still shaking, she stepped up to the gate, behind which she would hopefully be safe.

 **Let me know what you think :)**


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER V

 **Wow, we are already at Chapter 5! I am really enjoying writing this story. A big thank you to my loyal reviewers…and especially to riversidewren! You did a very good job in translating the story, thank you so much! :)  
**  
Alexandra stood forlornly in the yard and looked around. She was still breathing hard from her escape, and held her arm cautiously, as it was beginning once again to throb with pain. Then she saw several musketeers sitting at a table and eating, and she immediately recognized the four men she had been looking for. She crossed the courtyard, quickly reaching her destination. Halting in front of the table, she was able to say something when Aramis beat her to it.

"What happened?" he asked immediately, aghast when he saw the condition that Alexandra was in. He jumped up, and offered the girl his place at the table.

"I had…an encounter," replied Alexandra carefully.

Aramis looked into her eyes searchingly, and without another word, took her arm, and began to examine it.

"What kind of an encounter?" asked Porthos, his expression wary.

"Well, I got lost…and decided to ask this guy for directions. That was probably not such a bright idea," she added, and felt ashamed that she once again would appear helpless.

"You really have no business wandering around Paris alone, especially because you don't know the city," Aramis observed, his voice reproachful.

"I know that now, but I just had to talk to you!" she burst out.

"That can wait. Right now, you need some stitches," Aramis informed her, as he finished examining her arm.

Alexandra looked at him and swallowed, her eyes becoming round with fear.

"Don't worry, he knows what he is doing," Athos told her gently.

"Come with me," ordered Aramis, and left the table.

Alexandra followed him uncertainly, and could not help but notice the stares of the musketeers that she did not know. She hurried across the courtyard after Aramis, and followed him up the stairs. He opened a door, then stepped back in order to allow her to enter first.

"After you, Mademoiselle," he said gallantly, and made a sweeping movement with his arm.

At that moment, Alexandra thought-he is definitely quite charming.

"Make yourself comfortable," he told her. Alexandra looked around for a place to sit down. She found a chair, but it was piled with clothing, and she decided instead to sit on the bed. Aramis, meanwhile, rummaged through a drawer looking for the things he needed, then went to a shelf and grabbed a bottle. When he found everything that he needed, he sat down next to Alexandra, and held out the bottle to her.

"Umm..what am I supposed to do with this?" asked Alexandra uncertainly.

"Drink it," replied Aramis matter-of-factly.

"No thank you." Alexandra politely declined. "Alcohol and I really don't get along too well."

"Well, I still think it would be a good idea to at least take a sip," murmured Aramis, arranging his equipment on the bed.

Alexandra then understood what he was reluctant to say out loud…she would need the alcohol to dull the pain. She took the bottle from Aramis, took a sip, and made a face.

Aramis chuckled. "Okay, I know it may taste terrible right now, but it'll soon be gone."

"That is truly horrible…what is it?" Lexie asked, grimacing.

"Whisky," replied Aramis, clearly amused at her disgust.

He then picked up the leather packet that lay beside him and began to thread an alarmingly dull looking needle with some thread. Then he laid it all down next to him and began to clean Alexandra's arm with a wet cloth. She gritted her teeth, and tried to remain calm. She did not want Aramis to think she was acting like a small, fearful child.

"Are you ready?" he asked, noticing Alexandra's inner struggle.

"It's fine…go ahead," she answered, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

Aramis picked up the bottle once again, and Alexandra guessed what he was about to do. But when he poured the alcohol on the open wound, she could not keep herself from crying out in pain. Aramis looked up at her quickly, gauging her reaction, but did not let himself become distracted from the task at hand. Instead, he decided to try to divert her attention elsewhere, and struck up a conversation.

"So, what was so important that you crossed half of Paris by yourself in order to find us?"

"I wanted to ask if you would be willing to help us find that man…the one Porthos was talking about."

"Hm, well he is not exactly in the neighborhood," mused Aramis. "I would have to talk it over with the others."

Alexandra watched him uncertainly as he reached for the needle. Aramis noticed her expression.

"Don't worry...I've done this many times," he reassured her.

Alexandra felt somewhat reassured, but that soon changed when he put in the first stitch. She winced.

"So, I assume this is the first occasion you have had to make the acquaintance of a needle and thread. Am I correct?" Aramis asked softly.

"Yes," Alexandra answered, unaware that she had been holding her breath.

"Breathe normally," Aramis instructed her reassuringly. "I'll be done soon."

Alexandra followed his advice.

After Aramis had poured whisky over the stitches one more time, and had put on a dressing over the area, he inspected the cut on her neck, and cleaned it as well. When he finished, Alexandra breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll go and ask the others what they think of the idea of trying to find this "Futureman." If they agree, then we will have to inform Treville, and will need to get permission for a few days of leave."

"Who is Treville?" asked Alexandra, hearing this name for the first time.

"Our Captain," replied Aramis. "When we know more, I'll come let you know. In the meantime, you should head back, otherwise Constance is sure to be worried."

"Okay, that's fine, but who is going to take me back to her house?" asked Lexie.

"I'll take you. D'Artagnan won't be going home for quite some time. Since he was late to duty this morning, Athos has sentenced him to muck out the stalls in the barn."

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I don't want to get you in trouble. You've already done so much for me," Lexie said slowly.

Aramis looked at her with disbelief. "Of course I'm okay with it! After all, what man wouldn't want to help a pretty young lady like yourself?"

"I know several. Where I come from, everything is completely different," Alexandra remarked resignedly.

Aramis looked at her, perplexed. "Are you saying that where you are from, it's considered acceptable just to abandon someone?"

"Yes, I suppose you could say so. Most people really don't care what happens to a stranger," explained Alexandra.

"But we are no longer strangers," replied Aramis, looking into her eyes.

Alexandra lost herself in his eyes…My God, those eyes! And he is so nice, and so helpful… NO NO NO, you can't go down that road! You will not fall in love with him! He is way too old, and besides, he thinks you are still a child. Besides, you know next to nothing about him!

Aramis' smooth voice tore Alexandra away from her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Of course," she answered hastily.

"Well then, I think it is time that we get you home," he said decisively.

Aramis went to the door, and Alexandra followed him. They went down the stairs and entered the courtyard. Aramis headed directly over to his friends, who were still sitting at the table, and explained that he was going to escort Alexandra home.

* * *

When they arrived at the Bonacieux residence, Constance stormed out of the house. "Where in the world have you been? It's already dark!"

"I'm sorry! There was…an incident," Lexie explained apologetically.

Aramis quickly cut in. "But everything is under control now, so no need to worry." Constance, full of anxiety, had completely ignored him.

Constance then noticed the bandage on Alexandra's arm. "My God! You call that under control?!" she shrieked, turning indignantly to Aramis.

Then she narrowed her eyes at Alexandra. "As for you, your sister and I were worried to death about you all day long!"

Alexandra looked more and more shamefaced.

Constance, noticing her guilt expression, calmed down a bit. "Come on, let's just go inside…by the way, what's taking d'Artagnan so long to get home?"

"Because he overslept and was late this morning, Athos is making him muck out the stable."

Constance sighed. "It'll be morning again before everyone is here. Well, off you go, Aramis…have a nice evening!" she called as he prepared to leave.

"I wish you a lovely evening as well, my ladies!" said Aramis gallantly, taking off his hat and bowing. Alexandra tried to keep from giggling, and Constance rolled her eyes. Aramis smiled as he noted their reaction, apparently quite satisfied with the result.

* * *

Later that night, d'Artagnan finally returned home. He tried to open the door as quietly as he could, and winced when it squeaked. He quietly tiptoed into the kitchen and lit a candle. When he came back out of the kitchen, he saw a frying pan swinging at him from the corner of his eye. He ducked, and successfully disarmed his attacker. In the darkness, it was difficult to see, but he recognized Constance in the dim light of the candle.

"What is wrong with you?! Are you trying to kill me?!" he hissed at her, outraged.

"Thank God it's only you! I thought someone had broken in!" Constance replied, visibly relieved.

D'Artagnan was obviously still upset at having been assaulted with a skillet. "Next time, first make sure that you really want to whack the person you're about to hit with a frying pan!"

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind!" replied Constance sarcastically.

The two looked at each other, then began to laugh.

"Not so loud!" giggled Constance. "You'll wake up the two girls upstairs!"

"Well, then, we had better retreat into our room very quickly, hmm?" D'Artagnan pulled Constance to him with a seductive look, and tried to kiss her. But she put a finger to his lips and with her other hand pointed to a tub of water which she had set up.

"First you need to bathe," she ordered her musketeer firmly. "You smell like a horse!"

D'Artagnan looked at her, disappointed.

"Then you are welcome to come to bed," she added soothingly, and d'Artagnan immediately began to strip his clothes off, hurrying to get into the bath.

* * *

The next morning, two happy, laughing sisters came down the stairs and sat at the table. Constance handed them each a plate. "Good morning! Why are you both in such a good mood?"

"No reason…we're just happy," giggled Leah.

"It's probably some kind of a secret sister thing," guessed d'Artagnan, looking at them closely.

"Maybe," Leah answered mysteriously.

"What do you think about the three of us going to the market today?" Constance asked the girls.

"That would be great!" Leah was already excited.

Even Alexandra was glad to get a chance to get to know Paris better. Perhaps it would keep her from getting lost again.

* * *

The three returned home late in the day. They had bought some clothes for Leah and Alexandra, as well as some food. Constance had shown them a little of Paris. The sisters had been delighted with the sights, marveling at the many small alleys and lanes that crisscrossed the city. Exhausted, but happy to be home (had Constance's house already become a home to them?), they sat down and chatted a little longer, until the siblings decided to go upstairs.

Some time later, a knock came on the door. "Aramis!" exclaimed Constance, surprised to see him.

"Good evening to you as well," he replied, grinning.

"What can I do for you?" inquired Constance.

"Is Alexandra here?"

"She is. Come on in. I'll go get her." Constance went up the stairs.

A moment later, Lexie came down.

She was also surprised to see him so late in the evening. "Hi, Aramis!"

"Hello! How are you?" he inquired with a smile.

"I'm fine. What brings you here?" she asked, curious.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were okay, and wanted to take one more look at your arm."

"Everything's fine with my arm," Alexandra replied hastily.

But Aramis was determined to see for himself. He carefully unwrapped the bandage, then redressed the wound. Lexie sat in a chair next to him.

"I have spoken with the other, and the Captain," began Aramis.

"And? Will you help us?" asked Alexandra uncertainly.

"Of course we will!" Aramis replied earnestly, and took Lexie's breath away when he looked at her with his warm brown eyes.

"Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to us!"

Aramis smiled at her. "We want to head out the day after tomorrow."

"Oh Aramis, thank you!" With those words, Alexandra impulsively threw her arms around his neck, and clung to him tightly. Suddenly realizing what she had done, she pulled away.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized, flustered by how attracted she felt to the musketeer.

"What are you sorry for?" asked Aramis softly, confused by her reaction.

"For the hug…it was inappropriate," she whispered.

Aramis looked at her questioningly. "Come here." This time, he took Alexandra into his arms.

* * *

That evening, Alexandra lay in bed wide awake, her thoughts racing. She was excited about what the next day might bring. Constance had to go back to work in the palace. However, she did not want to leave the girls by themselves, so she had decided that they would come with her.

What would the palace look like? Like a castle from a fairy tale? Unfortunately, probably not…but it would probably be huge, and they would meet all sorts of people there! Maybe there was even a formal garden!

Lexie was thrilled to have the chance to see a real castle. Or was it a palace? What exactly was the difference between a palace and a castle? Sure, she had seen castles before, but they had only been the kind where you had to go on one of those incredibly boring museum-type tours. She had never really gotten much out of those visits, because there were always way too many people milling around.

This, on the other hand, would be completely different. The palace would be full of life, and it would be so much more exciting to see it that way.

Alexandra's thoughts then turned to another subject.

She longed for her house, for her own time, and…she had never thought she would say it, but she even missed her school. Then another thought struck her. If she was stuck in another time, was time standing still in 2015? If they ever succeeded in getting back, would it be as if they had never been away? Or were people searching for them at this very moment? Was it possible that she could change the future with her actions in the 1600s?

She had so many questions, but the one uppermost in her mind was whether or not it was even possible to return to her own time She could not wait to talk to the man who might be able to answer many of her questions. But first, she had to find him.


End file.
